ty procured him the greatest renown, and he returned
to Rome covered with glory (B.C. 80). Numbers flocked out of the city to
meet him; and the Dictator himself, who formed one of the crowd, greeted
him with the surname of MAGNUS or the GREAT, which he bore ever
afterward. Sulla at first refused to let him triumph. Hitherto no one
but a Dictator, Consul, or Praetor had enjoyed this distinction; but as
Pompey insisted upon the honor, Sulla gave way, and the young general
entered Rome in triumph as a simple Eques, and before he had completed
his 25th year.

Pompey again exhibited his power in promoting, in B.C. 79, the election
of M. AEmilius Lepidus to the Consulship, in opposition to the wishes of
Sulla. The latter had now retired from public affairs, and contented
himself with warning Pompey, as he met him returning from the comitia in
triumph, "Young man, it is time for you not to slumber, for you have
strengthened your rival against yourself." Lepidus seems to have
reckoned upon the support of Pompey; but in this he was disappointed,
for Pompey remained faithful to the aristocracy, and thus saved his
party. He fought at the Mulvian bridge against Lepidus, as we have
already related, and afterward marched into Cisalpine Gaul against the
remains of his party. The Senate, who now began to dread Pompey, ordered
him to disband his army; but he found various excuses for evading this
command, as he was anxious to obtain the command of the war against
Sertorius in Spain. They hesitated, however, to give him this
opportunity for gaining fresh distinction and additional power; and it
was only in consequence of the increasing power of Sertorius that they
at length unwillingly determined to send Pompey to Spain, with the title
of Proconsul, and with powers equal to Metellus.

Pompey arrived in Spain in B.C. 76. He soon found that he had a more
formidable enemy to deal with than any he had yet encountered. He
suffered several defeats, and, though he gained some advantages, yet
such were his losses that at the end of two years he was obliged to send
to Rome for re-enforcements. The war continued three years longer; but
Sertorius, who had lost some of his influence over the Spanish tribes,
and who had become an object of jealousy to M. Perperna and his
principal Roman officers, was unable to carry on operations with the
same vigor as during the two preceding years. Pompey accordingly gained
some advantages over him, but the war wa